Care Leavers

The University for the Creative Arts appreciates that there are practical concerns for young people leaving care and entering Further or Higher Education.

In order to help you make the transition into either Further or Higher Education, the University has four designated members of staff (DMS) for Looked-after-Children and Care Leavers. The DMS is there to support students who are either looked after children or young care leavers aged 16-24. This means that students will either be currently subject to a care order or have previously been registered in the care of a local authority for a period of at least 13 weeks under the age of 16 years.

The University seeks to support you by providing a seamless support process, available from initial enquiry through to your graduation and includes:-

Information and guidance on courses and returning to education

Information on paying for your course, help accessing this and other sources of financial help;

Help and advice on completing application forms/online applications for courses, student loans;

Help getting your accommodation in place, including liaising with our Accommodation department;

Help putting additional support in place ready for your course such as disability support and study skills, as well as help accessing other services available including Careers Advice.

Working with other professionals supporting you with your permission.

Further information on how UCA supports Care Leavers can be found here.

All shared information remains confidential.

For further advice contact one of the University's Designated Members of Staff.

If you would like the responsible local authority, trust or charity that you have contact with to be able to talk to us about you, with your agreement, this can be done by using the referral form. A copy of the referral form we use can be downloaded here.

If you wish to make an application to the University for the Creative Arts, please click here.

The Care Leavers Association would really like to hear the views of care leavers who have recently been through the system. If you are 16-30 then please complete their on line survey If you are older or just want to send them your views please email policydebate@careleavers.comThey would like you to answer the following questions:

Was your leaving care experience good or bad?

What, if anything, could have been done differently to improve the experience